Death and Taxes
by Mistocat21
Summary: Following the death of her father by order of Jackson Rippner, a teenage girl is kidnapped and finds herself caught up in the web of money, politics and power surrounding the planned assassination of politician Charles Keefe.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Red Eye.

A/N: This is my first Red Eye fanfiction, so please read, review and I hope you enjoy!

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When Kaylie turned on to her street, the first thing she noticed was a strange car parked in her driveway. _Dad didn't tell me he was expecting company_, she thought, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders. Then again, she wasn't supposed to be home this early. _And I wouldn't be, if Erin hadn't gotten sick_. Kaylie climbed the steps to the front door and pushed it open, the sound of voices meeting her curious ears. The sound died away as the door clicked shut behind her.

"Kaylie?" Her father's voice drifted in from the kitchen. "Is that you, honey?"

"Yeah," she called back, dropping her backpack by the stairs.

"I thought you were going to Erin's for the afternoon."

Kaylie entered the kitchen as she replied: "She got sick… flu's going around or something."

"I see." Her father glanced between the two other men in the room before gesturing to Kaylie. "This is my daughter."

The middle-aged man seated next to her father nodded politely; the younger man smiled amicably from where he stood leaning against the counter. His piercing blue eyes met hers and for a moment she stared, before returning the smile and turning back towards her father.

"Kaylie," her father began, his eyes flickering towards the man at the counter as he slowly got to his feet. "We were just in the middle of finishing up some business." He stepped around the table and crossed the room to rest a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Would you mind…" He cleared his throat. "Why don't you go upstairs for a bit until we're through?"

To Kaylie's bewilderment, her father seemed uneasy, but something in his eyes told her to do as he asked. "No problem, dad. Sorry to interrupt."

"Thanks, hon." Her father kissed her on the forehead and then she retreated from the kitchen to head upstairs, grabbing her bag along the way. She heard the conversation continue behind her as she disappeared into her room. What kind of business was her father conducting at this time in the afternoon and why would it put him so on edge? It was surely not something for work. Neither of those men looked like anyone Kaylie had ever seen at her father's office. Well, whoever they were, their business was clearly important. They had all looked slightly… what was the word?,,, agitated… at her interruption. Well, she'd let them keep at it.

Ten minutes later, Kaylie was reading on her bed when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," she called, expecting her dad. The door swung open to reveal the younger of the two men she had seen downstairs. He looked to be around 30, reasonably tall and quite thin, with brown hair that fell into those incredibly blue eyes. Eyes that captured her attention and refused to relinquish it, until she realized with a jolt that she had, yet again, been staring.

"Hi." His tone was light and friendly, putting Kaylie somewhat at ease.

"Hi," she replied, uncertain as to what she was supposed to do or say next.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" When she shook her head, he went on. "My partner's just finishing up some business with your dad downstairs, so I thought I'd come up and see how you were doing."

"I'm fine," she replied, still not sure what was going on.

He glanced around the room. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude… we just felt bad about kicking you out downstairs, your dad said you wouldn't be home for awhile yet… anyway, I just thought I'd come and be social while they were finishing up." He smiled faintly and Kaylie smiled back. _Why does he seem nervous?_

"Well, thanks," she replied. "My friend got sick, so I came home earlier than I expected. I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Just some insurance paperwork is all. Pretty dull."

"Oh." So that's what they're doing down there, Kaylie thought. Insurance stuff. Figures.

"I'm Jackson." He crossed to the side of her bed and extended a hand, which she shook.

"Kaylie."

"It's a pleasure, Kaylie."

"Likewise."

Jackson smiled. "So you're in school?"

"Yeah. 10th grade."

"Ooh, sophomore year, that can be rough. You like it?"

"Pretty well." She shrugged. "Except for science."

"Not a fan?" He grinned at her pained expression. "I sympathize, I wasn't much of a fan myself."

He shifted slightly and Kaylie caught a glimpse of silver under his suit jacket. _Is he carrying a knife?_ The thought seemed ludicrous and yet Kaylie couldn't shake off the suddenly growing desire to put more distance between herself and the seemingly friendly businessman. She slid off the bed on the opposing side; their eyes met and, despite his smile, she thought he looked almost troubled. _Maybe I'll just go back downstairs…_

"Um, I really have to go to the bathroom," she said lamely and then turned and dashed out the door. She heard quick footsteps behind her as she reached the top of the stairs and scrambled down as quickly as she could manage. She had barely reached the bottom when Jackson collided with her from behind, slamming her into the opposing wall. Dizzy from the impact, she struggled against him, but stopped suddenly as she took in the scene before her.

"Dad…" she choked out, stretching out a hand. Then something heavy connected with the side of her head and everything went black.


	2. Chapter 1

"It's done." Jackson held the cell phone in his left hand, gripping the steering wheel with his right.

"Good work," came the voice from the other end. "Parker will be pleased."

"There is one thing…" Jackson glanced at Leroy, who was watching him from the passenger seat. "It's about his daughter."

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The first sensation Kaylie registered was a throbbing ache in the side of her head. She tried to bring a hand up to survey the damage, but found that her left hand wouldn't move without her right one. _What the…_ she thought, and only then did she feel the rough bands binding her wrists together. Her slowly developing thoughts were interrupted by a rough jolt. _Where am I?_ she wondered, cautiously opening her eyes. She was lying across the backseat of a car, wrists and ankles bound together, a piece of duct tape across her mouth. Turning her head slightly to one side, she could see two men in the front seats. _Two men…_ fighting the increasing pain in her head, she focused harder, and Jackson swam into view. She snapped her eyes shut, praying with all her might that she was dreaming. She remembered… her father at the kitchen table, Jackson's friendly conversation in her room, the scene downstairs, that horrible scene downstairs. She tried to push the thought away, but it only became clearer…. that man, Jackson's partner, standing over her father's unmoving body, blood on the floor. Her eyes shot open again and she found Jackson's blue eyes staring at her in the rearview mirror. He grinned.

"Rise and shine."

She mumbled something incoherent and Jackson glanced to the passenger seat, inclining his head towards Kaylie. The man in the passenger seat twisted around and Kaylie shrunk back into the seat in fear. It was him, the man who'd been standing over her father's body… She felt her heartbeat quickening as he reached out towards her. He grabbed the end of the duct tape and pulled it off, then turned back to the front of the car. Kaylie flinched as her hands flew to her lips, stinging from the removal of the tape.

"Now," Jackson spoke, smiling at Kaylie in the mirror. "What was it you wanted to say?"

"Who the hell are you?" Kaylie growled with a ferocity she didn't know she possessed.

"My, my, such aggression," Jackson replied, still smiling. "Here… some aspirin. You must have quite the headache." Kaylie awkwardly took the paper cup thrust at her from the passenger seat and eyed its contents. _Well, it looks like aspirin…_

Jackson seemed to read her thoughts. "It's just aspirin. Trust me, you need it."

Kaylie glanced from him to the pills and struggled to sit up. Her headache intensified with the sudden movement and, realizing the futility of protest, she emptied the cup into her mouth. The man in the passenger seat handed her an open bottle of water; she gripped it tightly between bound hands, struggling not to spill it all over herself. After having swallowed, she spoke again.

"It was you that hit me, then."

"Yeah, sorry about that." He shrugged. "Had I anticipated the need to knock anyone suddenly unconscious, I would have come better prepared."

"Bastard," she spat.

"Language, language…" Jackson was still smiling at her. "Does your family know you talk like that?"

_My family…my father…_ "Where is he?" she demanded. "Where's my dad?!"

"All in good time," came the reply, which did not satisfy Kaylie in the least.

"I said, where the hell is he?!"

"If you don't calm down," he returned, his tone sharp. "I'll tape your mouth shut again."

Kaylie's eyes narrowed, but she sank back in her seat. She knew better than to push her luck.

"I said, where is he?" she tried again, trying to keep her voice calm despite the waves of fear and anger washing over her.

"Much better." Jackson smirked. "And I'm not going to tell you that just yet."

Kaylie gritted her teeth, becoming increasingly aware of the differences between this Jackson and the friendly man in her room.

"Who are you?"

"I told you already, I'm Jackson. And this…" Jackson gestured to the man in the passenger seat, "…is Leroy."

"Pleasure," Leroy turned to Kaylie and gave a slight nod.

"And I'm guessing you're not with the insurance company?" Kaylie raised her eyebrows and stared defiantly into the rearview mirror.

Both men smiled at that.

"She's a smart one," Leroy commented with a chuckle.

"No, sweetheart, we are not with the insurance company," Jackson continued. "But we did have business with your father, business which has since concluded."

"Then why am I here?" she retorted.

"Well, that's simple." Through the mirror, his eyes locked with hers. "Because you saw."

_Because I saw…_ the scene in her house flashed through Kaylie's mind, her father, immobile on the kitchen floor. She glanced around, as if hoping he might have been next to her all along, but she was alone in the backseat. _Is he still lying on the kitchen floor? Is he ok?_ Kaylie shifted, trying to keep her emotions in check. _Why won't he just tell me what happened to my dad?_ She took a deep breath and faced the rearview mirror.

"Where are we going?"

Jackson grinned. "Do you actually think I'm going to tell you that?"

She shrugged. "It was worth a try."

"I'll tell you this much, it's quite a ways away. We'll be stopping at some point, but I suggest you try to get some sleep in the meantime."

Kaylie opened her mouth to ask how he expected her to fall asleep in a car with the likes of him, but thought better of it. Instead, she settled into her seat, head turned to stare out the window. The cars flickering by reminded her of taking road trips when she was younger, curled up in the backseat while her dad drove. While her dad… Kaylie was unable to stop the tears from spilling over. She wiped them away quickly, hoping the two men would not have noticed her weakness.

"You ok back there?"

"Fine," Kaylie replied shortly, refusing to meet Jackson's eyes. _I'm just fine._

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They were on the highway now, with nothing but black emptiness, and the occasional car, filling Kaylie's vision. She had stopped crying, but her head had begun throbbing again. She had spent a considerable amount of time contemplating the possibility of leaping out of the moving vehicle, but had determined that to do so would be suicidal, one way or another. She had then tried to sleep, but to no avail. The glass window did not provide a comfortable headrest and it was starting to get cold.

"You look exhausted," Jackson commented. "You should sleep."

"Trying," she muttered. "Head hurts again. Which I blame on you, by the way."

"Fair enough." Jackson sighed. He conferred quietly with Leroy. Kaylie was too tired to care what they were saying. She opened her eyes only when she felt the car come to a stop. They were pulled over at a rest stop and both men were opening their doors.

"We're stopping for a minute," Jackson told her. "You are not to go anywhere."

A part of Kaylie's brain was trying to come up with a sarcastic retort, but the door had slammed shut before she could even open her mouth. _Like I'm going to try,_ she thought. _My head hurts so much I can't see straight and my legs are tied together. I would get really far like this. Although…_ Kaylie glanced down at the rope binding her ankles. She leaned forward slightly, stretching out her fingers to explore the complicated knot. Keeping her eyes fixed on Leroy, busy pumping gas, and the door to the convenience store into which Jackson had disappeared, she began her work. The knot loosened more easily than she had expected and she had most of it undone by the time the two men returned to the car. As Jackson slid into the passenger seat and Leroy climbed behind the wheel, Kaylie leaned back in her seat and glanced at her watch: 7:30 PM. _How many hours has it been?_

"Here." Jackson held out a bag of chips. "Food will help." Kaylie took it gratefully, realizing for the first time that she had not eaten anything since lunch. She wrestled with the opening of the bag for several moments, before a chuckle made her glance up to find Jackson watching her.

"Give it here."

Taking the bag from her hands, he pulled it open and passed it back.

"Thank you," she managed, inwardly cringing at the thought of being so dependent on him. As the car pulled back onto the highway, she awkwardly munched on several handfuls, before leaning back against the window and closing her eyes.

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Kaylie jolted awake as the car pulled to a stop. _Did I fall asleep?_ She looked down to find the empty chip bag in her lap, before glancing up towards the sign of a motel.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"I should think it would be obvious," Jackson replied, as he and Leroy both got out of the car. Jackson stepped around to the driver's side, climbing in and pulling away from the curb as Leroy disappeared into the motel.

"Where are we go–"

"Just around back," Jackson replied, before she had finished the query. "Leroy is checking us in."

Kaylie moved her feet tentatively, trying to slip them out of the rope, always watching Jackson carefully in the rearview mirror. She had absolutely no idea what they were planning to do with her and did not particularly like the idea of sticking around to find out. _If I can just get to reception, maybe I can get help._ Kaylie managed to free her feet just as the car coasted around the corner of the building into a deserted back lot. No sooner had the car rolled to a stop than Kaylie had flung open the back door and bolted, hearing Jackson curse behind her. She sprinted for the side of the building, praying that she would encounter someone other than Leroy in the main parking lot. She was still several yards from the corner when she was grabbed roughly from behind. Jackson locked one arm around her waist, pulling her to him, while the other pressed forcefully into her throat.

"That was not smart, Kaylie," he hissed in her ear, using the pressure on her windpipe to force her head back into his shoulder. She grabbed at his arm, trying to regain her ability to breathe, but he wouldn't budge.

"Now, I'm going to stop trying to strangle you," he continued. "If you stop trying to get away from me. Do we have a deal?" Kaylie managed a nod and instantly his arm disappeared from her throat, moving down to pin her arms to her body. She gasped for breath as he pushed her back towards the car, pinning her against it with his body weight.

"Whatever you may think," Jackson said, his breath hot on her cheek. "I actually have no intention of hurting you, provided you follow these conditions: do as you're told, don't try to contact anyone, and no more of these little escape attempts. Otherwise, it may just not be worth the headache. So it's really up to you."

"Why should I believe you?" Kaylie replied shakily, trying to keep herself from crying. "You knocked me out and just tried to strangle me, and now suddenly you have no intention of hurting me?"

Jackson grabbed her shoulders, spinning her around to face him. "There is no suddenly," he hissed. "Sometimes things are unavoidable, like incapacitating you before you attracted any attention. But I have never lied to you and I'm not about to start now." He gripped her chin in his fingers, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "So suck it up."


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! It is so encouraging to know that people are interested in the story. Thanks again!

As the story progresses, more will be explained about Jackson's motives and why Kaylie is involved in all of this – this is largely told from Kaylie's POV, so things will become clearer as she gets more involved.

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The hotel room was small, with barely enough room to walk between the two single beds that jutted out from one wall. A table and chair stood next to the window. A clock radio on the bedside table displayed the time in neon green: it was now 10:30 PM. Leroy hurried to check that the curtains were drawn, while Jackson guided Kaylie to one of the beds. She watched him anxiously as he conferred briefly with Leroy, who then disappeared out the door. The car engine came to life and then rapidly died away.

Jackson turned to Kaylie, who was sitting awkwardly on the bed, watching his every move.

"Make yourself comfortable." He grinned. "We're going to be here for awhile."

She scowled, but took his advice and scooted back to lean against the wall. He stretched out on the other bed, propping himself up on one arm to return her gaze. After a moment, Kaylie spoke.

"What do you want from me?"

"What's with all the questions?" he asked, cracking a smile. "I'm not just going to spill all, you know. Never been one for killing the suspense." Ignoring her dirty look, he went on. "All you need to know is that you're going to be with us for awhile, so you might as well accept it. I was serious when I said that you'll be fine… _if_ you cooperate."

"Cooperate with what?" she pressed, unable to keep the edge out of her voice.

"With me," he replied. "Which for now means sitting tight and behaving yourself."

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

Jackson's eyes met hers and she got the sense that he was trying to tell if she was up to something.

"Ok," he said finally.

"Um… I could use my arms," she said hopefully, extending her bound wrists in his direction.

"Oh no," he replied, sitting up. "I don't trust you that much."

"Jackson…" she began.

"Don't start," he warned. "Go…and make it quick."

Groaning under her breath, she stood up and found her legs rather shaky beneath her. A hand grabbed her shoulder in assistance, but she pulled herself from his grip and made her way slowly to the bathroom. Once inside, she locked the door and slid down to the floor, head falling into her arms. The tears that had been floating at the edge of her vision spilled over and she found herself suddenly trembling. _How did I get into this mess? What does he want from me?_

The tears stopped after a couple of minutes, much sooner than she had expected. _I have to find a way out of this_, she repeated to herself. _I need to hold myself together._ Pulling herself to her feet, she looked in the mirror. The bump on her head was not visible through her hair, though it still hurt to touch. Otherwise she looked ok, though a bit teary-eyed and frazzled. She splashed cold water on her face and gulped down a few handfuls. Knowing that he would be suspicious if she was away too long, she dried her face and hands and turned to the door.

Opening the door, she found herself face to face with those piercing blue eyes. He stared at her for several seconds, before gesturing towards the center of the room.

"After you."

She walked back to the bed and sat down, as he returned to his sprawled position.

"Jackson?"

"Mmhm?"

"Who are you people?" She pushed on as he opened his mouth to reply. "And don't recite your names again, I got that the first time."

He chuckled.

"You're a funny kid. So you want to know who we are…" He studied her for a moment before continuing. "Let's just say we're part of a larger puzzle. We have a role to play, a role that is a necessary step in fulfilling a larger purpose."

"What larger purpose?"

He actually laughed. "If I told you that, I'd have to kill you. Not that it would really matter, since there's no one here for you to tell, but I'll take precautions just in case."

"What does all of this have to do with my dad?" she asked, trying to ignore the fear that was welling up in the pit of her stomach. _Breathe, Kaylie, breathe._

"Your dad had access to some information, information that was strictly confidential. We needed to make sure he understood that."

"So that's why you were at my house."

"That is correct."

"And were you…successful?" Kaylie asked.

Jackson paused for a moment, as though debating whether or not to answer.

"Yes," he finally replied. "Your father was quite cooperative, not that he had much choice."

"But if you got what you needed, then why am I here? And what happened to my dad?" Kaylie was getting more and more agitated by the minute. "Will you please tell me what the hell is going on?!"

Jackson sat up, his blue eyes staring into hers. "Business had to be concluded, Kaylie. Not all arrangements can be wrapped up with paperwork."

Again those horrific images flashed through Kaylie's mind, her dad on the kitchen floor… he was immobile, unconscious…the blood…

"No," she whispered, her chest tightening, as his meaning hit home.

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people." Jackson shrugged. "Just a part of life."

Kaylie glared at him as her vision went blurry with tears, unable to move or speak. _My father is not dead, he isn't, he can't be… I won't believe it…he can't be…"_ Kaylie realized that she was shaking, but it was with anger, not fear. She stared at Jackson, ignoring the tears running down her cheeks, ignoring everything but the sudden urge to cause him as much pain as possible.

"You didn't," she growled, forcing the words out between clenched teeth.

"Well, clearly I didn't," he retorted. "I was with you, remember?"

"That was your job then," she spat. "To keep me distracted? While he…he…"

Fresh tears spilled over. Jackson simply watched her.

"You bastard," she screamed, launching herself off the bed in his direction, hands reaching for his throat. Anything to make him hurt, to make him feel a fraction of what she felt. Caught off guard by her sudden explosion, Jackson fell back on the bed as her weight hit him. He regained his composure almost instantly, flipping her off of him before her hands could grab a solid hold. She landed on her back on the bed and he was on her within seconds, straddling her waist, one hand holding her still bound wrists.

"Now, now, we'll have none of that," he said reprovingly. "We had a deal, and I would hate to have to break it."

"There was nothing in the deal about me hurting you," she shot back.

"I think that would fall under the category of causing me trouble. And I don't want _any_ trouble." Jackson stared down at her sternly. "So are you going to be a good girl, or not?"

"I hate you," she spat, trying to wriggle out from beneath him, but he was too heavy and too strong.

"I'm not letting you up until you answer the question," he warned.

She glared at him.

"Fine. I won't try to attack you."

"You better not." He used his free hand to wipe away her tears, before getting to his feet.

"Stay there."

She did as she was told, while he reached for the rope and bound her ankles together.

"I don't want you trying anything in the middle of the night," he said, as he scooped her up and returned her to her bed. "Now get some sleep."

Kaylie nearly laughed out loud at the thought of actually sleeping, but the sound caught in her throat. Did he actually think she would sleep at a time like this? Her father was probably dead and he _actually_ thought she would fall asleep in the same room as the man responsible? _I fell asleep in the same car as the man responsible…_ Kaylie gritted her teeth at the memory.

"You're not going to be very comfortable like that."

Jackson's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she turned to find him grinning at her. She shrugged and turned away, leaning back against the wall.

"Suit yourself." Jackson hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. Kaylie could hear his bed creaking as he lay down. She hugged her knees to her chest, keeping her eyes on her captor. It was going to be a long night.

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"I've just spoken to Parker." There was a brief pause before the voice continued. "He wishes to congratulate you on your handling of this…situation."

Jackson drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "But?" he pressed.

"He also hopes that you will deal with the girl in the same discreet and efficient manner – I believe those were his exact words." The voice sighed. "He would also like proof."

"What, does he suddenly doubt my capabilities?" Jackson gave a short laugh, stifling it quickly as Kaylie shifted in the bed on the opposite side of the room. He watched her for several seconds, scanning for any indication that she might have woken. "Alex," he said finally. "I do not intend on killing this girl."

"What, have you suddenly grown a conscience?" Alex retorted. "Parker is expecting this to be taken care of."

"And it will be," Jackson returned. "You need to trust me – killing her is not the way to do it."

"I do trust you, Jackson. You're one of our best." He sighed. "This is your call, but if you decide to compromise your position, you do it alone."

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Kaylie awoke to the sound of chirping birds and running water. The peaceful noises were soothing and she rolled over to go back to sleep…then her eyes shot open as the memory of the previous night crashed down upon her. The room was dim, with only a faint trickle of sunlight peeking through the curtains. She sat up slowly, as Jackson emerged from the bathroom and, seeing her awake, shot her a grin.

"Sleep well?"

Kaylie rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"Fine, don't be social." He crossed to the foot of her bed. "But it's six AM and time to get a move on."

Kaylie nodded, refusing to meet his gaze. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and ran her fingers through her hair, tangled from sleep. She didn't know how long she had been out, but it felt significantly less than what she needed.

"Before we go," Jackson said, taking a seat on the opposite bed. "We have to talk."

Kaylie didn't respond. She didn't care if she ever spoke another word again.

"Not speaking to me?" Jackson nodded. "Well, that's understandable."

Forcing the tears back, Kaylie met his eyes for the first time all morning, her expression etched with anger. "And how would you know?" she retorted, voice laden with sarcasm.

"And she speaks." He smirked. "That's the key to making you talk, is it? Just piss you off?"

"Shut up." Kaylie attempted to stand, but Jackson caught her wrists and pulled her back into a seated position.

"Ok, enough games," he said in a more serious tone. "You can hate me all you like, but it's in your best interest to listen to what I have to say."

Kaylie was silent. She had no interest in listening, but knew that he was probably right. She wasn't going to get anywhere by arguing, that was for sure.

"In a few minutes," he began, "we should be departing for our next, more permanent, location. Same rules apply: you don't cause trouble, you don't get hurt. With me so far?"

Kaylie was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Good." Though she refused to look up, Kaylie was sure he was smirking. "My associates and I have business to attend to and don't have time to deal with any escape attempts. To the contrary, we might be able to use some help."

"Help?" Kaylie was unable to keep the contempt from her voice as her eyes shot to Jackson. "What makes you think I would _help_ you?"

"Well," Jackson replied, matching her tone. "It's not like you have anything better to do."

Kaylie's eyes narrowed.

"Let's get one thing straight, buddy. The only thing I'm interested in is when I'm going home."

"Home?" Jackson raised his eyebrows. "I wouldn't recommend going home. First of all, there's no one there… sorry about that… and secondly, it's not particularly safe."

The reference to her father made Kaylie want to cry, scream and wrap her hands around his throat, but his second comment made her stop short.

"What do you mean, it isn't safe?" she demanded. "Are you trying to tell me that I'm in more danger out there than in here?" She laughed.

Jackson didn't.

"Actually, yes," he replied. "I've already told you my conditions for your safety. You play by the rules and you're free and clear. But out there… out there is only one rule: leave no witnesses."

"So what, you'll shoot me if I walk out the door?"

"No. I won't. But there are people who would. And once you're out of my sight, I can't stop them."

"Jackson, will you quit being so vague?" Kaylie demanded.

Blue eyes stared back into hers, and then he spoke.

"Let me lay it out for you. I get hired to do a job. All goes well, except there's a witness." He gestured to Kaylie. "That's a liability. You know something, something you shouldn't know. And you could tell. So the minute I let you walk through that door, you're going to have some of the best hit-men in town on your tail, eager to reestablish their insurance policy."

_Insurance_, Kaylie thought. _Figures._

"So why don't you just kill me, if I'm such a liability?"

"Kaylie, Kaylie, Kaylie… do I look like I would kill an innocent girl?"

"You killed an innocent man," she fired back, unable to keep the edge from her voice.

"Let me rephrase that," Jackson returned. "I kill for business and business alone. You saw something you shouldn't have. Not your fault. You shouldn't have to die for it."

"But I can be held prisoner for it?" she asked bitterly.

Jackson leaned forward and grabbed her wrists.

"Do you understand that if I let you leave, you die? Leroy and I don't have any interest in hurting you, but our employers don't give a shit. When this all blows over, maybe we can crack a deal. Until then, you're stuck with us. You don't have a choice. Not if you value your life."

"So what, you're keeping me here to protect me?" Kaylie stared at him in disbelief.

"Is that so hard to believe?" Jackson released her wrists and leaned back, studying her expression.

"From you, yes."

Jackson looked mildly offended. "I've never lied to you." The silence that followed on the heels of his remark was suddenly punctured by the ringing of a phone. Jackson started and stood up quickly, reaching his hand into his pocket to retrieve his cell. Kaylie watched him retreat into the corner of the room and thought about his words. _I've never lied to you_. It was true: from what she could tell, Jackson had not lied to her. So was he telling the truth about those hit men, about the fact that she was in danger, about the fact that he was actually trying to protect her? She couldn't quite grasp the fact that the man partially responsible for her father's murder would be trying to protect her, but did she have a reason to doubt him? She could hate him for what he had done, but as of yet he had been honest and had kept to his word.

"Kaylie." Jackson's voice broke into her thoughts. "Time to go."


	4. Chapter 3

No sooner had Kaylie slid into the backseat of the car than Leroy tossed a paper bag into her lap.

"Hungry?"

Kaylie opened the bag and warily inspected her doughnut. Despite her small and unbalanced dinner of chips the night before, she wasn't particularly hungry. _I need to eat,_ she reminded herself firmly. Taking a deep breath, Kaylie reached for the doughnut. Jackson slid behind the wheel and took a quick sip of coffee before turning on the ignition. As the car pulled out of the motel lot, Kaylie took in her surroundings, realizing that she had absolutely no idea where they were.

"Where are we?"

"We are, my dear, in North Carolina." Kaylie looked out the window, wondering how many miles she was from home, and then turned back to Jackson.

"What's in North Carolina?"

He smiled. "Nothing… not for us, at least. It's just en route to somewhere else."

"Somewhere else being…?"

Jackson and Leroy exchanged a look. "And here I thought you'd never ask."

"That's not an answer," Kaylie retorted.

"Did you really expect one?" Jackson replied, as Kaylie glared at him in the mirror. "We still have a long way to go, so you might as well catch some more shut-eye." He paused, his eyes twinkling. "Maybe, if you behave yourself, I'll tell you where we're headed a little later on."

Kaylie couldn't tell if he was serious or not, but didn't have the energy to pursue the matter. She finished her breakfast and, dropping the bag to one side, curled up in her seat and rubbed her ankle. On a promise of good behavior, Jackson had removed that rope before they left the motel, but her ankles were still sore from where it had chafed. She glanced down at her still bound wrists and sighed, before leaning her head back against the seat and closing her eyes.

------------

Kaylie slept fitfully. From time to time, she would wake up and stare out the window for a while, only to drift back into another hour or so of sleep. Finally, the car began to slow, and she opened her eyes to find them pulling off at a rest stop.

"Kaylie." She turned to find Jackson watching her. "Do you need the bathroom?"

Kaylie sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Actually, yes," she admitted.

Jackson's hand shot out and grabbed her wrists. "I'm going to have to undo this," he said, tugging on the rope. "When we get out of the car, you need to stay close to me. Do NOT attract attention and don't even think about taking off." He yanked forcefully at her arms, pulling her closer. "Do not make me regret this. Understood?" Kaylie nodded and he quickly untied the rope from around her wrists. Jackson and Leroy stepped out of the car, the former pulling open the back door for Kaylie. She slid out into the sunlight.

"It's hot," she exclaimed with surprise, gently tugging on her t-shirt.

"Welcome to Florida."

"Flor-" she began, but Jackson was already taking her arm and guiding her away from the car. "Come on," he said. "Let's make this quick."

As they crossed the relatively empty parking lot, Kaylie took in the small visitor center and convenience store, the gas station around the side, the small bathhouse set apart from the rest of the center. Glancing at her surroundings, Kaylie realized that Jackson and Leroy had picked this rest stop on purpose. _There aren't very many people to see us._ They reached the bathrooms and Jackson gestured for Kaylie to go in. She stepped through the door, grateful for a few moments of privacy, even if they were spent in a public restroom along the Florida interstate.

------------

Jackson and Kaylie returned to the car only moments before Leroy appeared, carrying a bag of groceries. He deposited it in the back seat.

"Feel free to help yourself," he said to Kaylie. "It's not exactly lunch, but it will have to do."

As Jackson and Leroy took turns using the facilities, Kaylie investigated the contents of the bag. Once Jackson had returned to the car and settled into the passenger seat, he turned to face her.

"Do I need to tie you up again?"

"I'd rather you didn't," she replied truthfully, fingers resting on her sore wrist. He gave her a measured stare.

"Ok," he said after a moment. "I'm choosing to trust you, so don't push it." There was silence for several minutes as Leroy steered the car back on to the highway, and then Kaylie spoke.

"So, you said you would tell me where we were going."

"Did I?" Kaylie detected a hint of teasing in Jackson's voice.

"Yes," she replied. "I didn't attract attention or try to escape and I already know we're in Florida, so…"

Jackson grinned at her in the mirror and Kaylie got the distinct impression that he was enjoying this game.

"We are," he said after a minute. "Going to Miami."

"Miami? Why Miami?"

Jackson raised his eyebrows. "I remember promising to tell you where we were going. I didn't ever say that I would tell you why."

"Why am I not surprised?" Kaylie muttered.

"Glad to see you're catching on so fast." Jackson glanced at her over his shoulder. "Leroy and I have business in Miami. We've set up a temporary… establishment there. That's where we're going."

------------

Kaylie had never been to Florida and, although she recalled its general shape and size from middle school geography tests, she had never before considered what that size meant in practical terms. Being in the same state as their destination gave her hope that they might arrive soon; three hours later, with no move made to get off the highway, she watched the palm trees pass by and considered that she might have been overly optimistic. It was not until after 4:30 PM that she began to make out the city in the distance.

For the last half hour, Jackson insisted that Kaylie wear a blindfold. She complied, though not without retorting that she had never been to Miami and had a terrible sense of direction. He assured her that it was a necessary precaution. When the car finally came to a stop, Kaylie heard the doors click open and shut and then hands were at her head, untying the blindfold. It dropped into her lap and she found herself staring into those increasingly familiar blue eyes. Jackson grinned.

"Here we are."

Kaylie blinked, taking in her surroundings. They were in a parking garage. It didn't look any different from any other parking garage she had ever seen. She raised her eyebrows.

"Your "establishment" is in a parking garage?"

"No," Jackson replied, actually rolling his eyes. "It's in the building above the parking garage." He leaned down to peer in at her. "Now, since you've been so well behaved, I'm going to let you remain untied, okay?"

"Okay."

She took his offered hand and climbed out of the car. He adjusted his hand so that it was grasping her arm and nodded to Leroy, who shouldered a couple of bags from the trunk. As they walked towards the elevator, Kaylie glanced around at the other cars parked in the garage. She wondered what kind of people they belonged to, if their owners were everyday people, if they knew they shared a building with a couple of hired killers. Kaylie shook her head slightly, trying to sort out her confused emotions. Her common sense screamed at her that she should hate these men: they had killed her father and were more than capable of doing the same to her. Yet her instinct told her that she could trust them, that they had no desire to hurt her. She believed Jackson when he told her that she was in danger, and who better to protect her than those who knew how to play this kind of game. The fact that she was turning to them for protection made Kaylie uneasy, but Jackson had given her his word. And, as far as she could tell, Jackson didn't lie.

------------

Their "establishment" was a nicely decorated apartment, which gave off a pleasant, cozy air that was far from what Kaylie had expected. The door led them into a sizeable kitchen, one wall of which opened into a comfortable looking living room. A hallway extended from the other side of the kitchen, leading perhaps to bedrooms and offices. No sooner had they stepped inside than a young man emerged from the hall, calling out a friendly greeting. Jackson and Leroy returned the salutation, and then Jackson turned to Kaylie.

"Kaylie, this is Ben," he said, inclining his head towards the younger man. "Ben, meet Kaylie."

"Hi," Ben said, shooting Kaylie a smile. She smiled back. He was about Jackson's height, with dark blond hair and a pleasant face. He didn't look like he could be much past 20 and Kaylie briefly wondered how he had gotten involved in this business.

"I'll show you to your room." Jackson's words interrupted her thoughts and she followed him out of the kitchen, exchanging another smile with Ben as she passed.

_I have a room?_

"Here we are." Jackson opened the door into a cozy room, nicely furnished with a bed and a wood dresser. She stepped inside and looked around, as Jackson dropped a duffel bag by the foot of the bed. There were no windows, a fact that did not surprise her in the least, but otherwise the room was more than comfortable.

"Well? What do you think?" Kaylie turned to face Jackson, who was leaning against the doorframe.

"It's nice," she replied. "Not really what I expected from your…establishment."

"What did you think, that we'd have guns hanging from the walls?" Jackson grinned. "We do have some amount of class, you know." He pointed to the duffel bag. "In there you'll find some of your belongings. The drawers and closet are empty, so feel free to use them."

"What do you mean, my belongings?" Kaylie looked at him quizzically.

"I mean, the belongings that we took out of your room," he returned. "Don't look at me like that, Kaylie, I'm sure you wouldn't prefer to wear that every single day."

Kaylie glanced down. She could do with a change of clothes.

"Bathroom's down the hall," Jackson continued. "I'm happy to show you if you want to shower."

_Yeah_, Kaylie thought, realizing that she hadn't showered since before school the previous day. _That'd be good._

------------

The bathroom was also nicely decorated and quite clean, given that this apartment appeared to be shared by three men. Jackson handed Kaylie a towel and then turned to leave.

"Just knock on the door when you're done."

"What, I don't get free run of the apartment?" Kaylie asked, a trace of sarcasm in her voice.

"Not yet." Jackson smirked. "But you do get points for good behavior." With that, he disappeared out the door and Kaylie heard the click of the bolt sliding into place. She sighed and then stepped towards the shower to turn the water on. She undressed quickly, leaving her clothes in a heap on the floor, and stepped into the shower. She massaged her wrists gently and closed her eyes, letting the hot water soothe her stiff muscles. With her eyes shut, she could almost imagine that she was still at home, rinsing off after a long day at school while her dad cooked dinner. Silent tears slid down her cheeks, mixed with the running water. She didn't try to stop them; for a few minutes at least, she didn't have to be brave.

------------

A half-hour later, and in a clean pair of clothes, Kaylie knocked on the bathroom door. After a few seconds, it swung open.

"Come on," Jackson said, heading down the hall to the kitchen. "There's food on the table."

Kaylie followed him into the kitchen, where Ben was seated at the table, eating a slice of pizza. She glanced at the clock as she took the offered chair: it was just about 6:30 PM. Ben pushed the tray of pizza in her direction and Kaylie took a slice, nodding in thanks. Suddenly she was starving.

"My turn to shower," Jackson commented. He took a slice of pizza and disappeared back down the hall, whistling. Kaylie looked up from her dinner to find Ben watching her. When their eyes met, he spoke.

"I hope the pizza's alright… I had no idea what time you were all getting in." He shrugged and smiled. "Everyone's tired and starving, so oven pizza it is."

"It's fine." Kaylie smiled back and then resumed eating her food.

"Your name's Kaylie?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"And you're…"

"The kidnappee." She finished his sentence, surprised at how easily the words rolled off her tongue.

"Oh, I didn't mean…" Ben blushed slightly. "I mean, I already knew that, but…"

"It's ok." Kaylie laughed lightly. "I'm actually beginning to get used to the idea."

Ben smiled. "Well, I was trying to ask about you, where you're from, that sort of thing."

"Oh! Well, I'm from Washington, D.C. I'm in high school…" Kaylie trailed off and shrugged. "I don't really know what else to say… my life is pretty normal I guess, at least until these last few days."

"Yeah." Ben smiled sympathetically. "But they've been treating you ok?" He inclined his head towards the hallway.

Kaylie's thoughts ran over the events of the past two days. Tears threatened to flood her vision as the image of her father's immobile body flashed before her eyes, but she pushed the thought away and quickly nodded. She was not about to fall apart in front of this guy she'd barely met.

"Yeah," she managed. "It's been fine… I mean, as fine as to be expected." She smiled. "So, what about you? I'm assuming you work with Jackson and Leroy? If it's ok to say, that is."

"I'm the assistant manager," Ben answered before swallowing his last bite of pizza.

"Manager?" Kaylie asked, knowing full well that her image of shopping malls and hotels did not fit into this situation.

"Yeah," Ben replied. "Jackson's the manager, right? It's his job to coordinate the team, make sure that everything comes off as it should. I'm his assistant, of sorts. I help put together plans, gather information, that sort of thing."

Kaylie nodded, although she was far from comprehension.

"And then Leroy…"

Ben raised his eyebrows.

"Leroy…" Kaylie trailed off, unable to vocalize any opinion on the man she knew to be responsible for her father's death.

Ben eyed her somewhat cautiously. "I guess you could say that Leroy does the dirty work."

They finished their dinner in relative silence, Kaylie struggling to keep herself from thinking too much about all that had occurred. The sound of a door opening drifted down the hall and Kaylie and Ben both looked up to see Jackson enter the kitchen. The two men exchanged a significant look, after which Ben climbed to his feet and went to confer quietly with Jackson in the corner. After a moment, he headed down the hall, calling "See you later, Kaylie" over his shoulder. Jackson crossed the room and joined Kaylie at the table.

"So, I see you're making friends with Ben," he commented, a slight smirk playing across his face.

"Yeah, he seems nice enough," Kaylie replied, slightly relieved to have something else to think about. "Of course, he is an assassin."

"Not an assassin," Jackson corrected. "Assistant manager. Big difference."

"Managers don't kill people?" Kaylie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Not typically. Their primary responsibility lies in the planning. Of course, sometimes circumstances require a change in plans." He smiled cryptically.

"So what," Kaylie asked, unable to keep herself from smiling back. "Does that mean you're not an assassin?"

Jackson absentmindedly helped himself to another slice of pizza. "I'm a lousy shot."

"So you don't kill people? Not personally, at least?"

Jackson studied her for a moment. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Kaylie sighed. He had a point.


	5. Chapter 4

I apologize that it has been so long since I last updated. I was ironing out some plot details and then my life got incredibly hectic and I never got a chance to get back to it. So hopefully some of you are still interested in reading this – please let me know what you think!

Kaylie stood at the living room window, looking down at the street. The apartment building appeared to be in a predominantly residential area and a mere handful of people moved along the sidewalk below. Kaylie pressed her nose to the glass and wondered where they were going. She glanced at her watch. It was Thursday, mid-morning. If she were still in D.C., she would be in math right now. _I've been gone for three days_, she thought. _Three days of unexcused absence – the school will certainly have called home. _Her father's body had probably been found, she realized, provided that Jackson and Leroy had left it there. _Maybe everyone thinks that I'm dead too._ Kaylie took a deep breath, determined not to give in to another flood of tears. She just wanted to be out of this mess and safely home with her family and friends. She glanced behind her at Ben, working at the kitchen table; Jackson and Leroy were undoubtedly planning something in the rooms beyond. _Why me_, she thought, turning back to face the Miami sunlight. _Why my dad? What makes us so special?_

------------

"All of the arrangements have been made." Jackson leaned back in his chair. "I leave for Texas in the morning."

"Excellent." Alex paused. "I trust you are not taking that girl with you?"

Jackson closed his eyes, trying to ignore his irritation at the ridiculousness of the question. "No, I am not taking her with me. She's staying with Ben."

"Jackson, Parker is going to want…"

"What Parker wants," Jackson interrupted sharply, "is for the Keefe operation to go as planned. Once that has occurred, anything "that girl" may or may not know will be, frankly, irrelevant."

"Fair enough," Alex conceded.

"Let me do my job, Alex. I'll contact you when it's finished."

------------

Friday evening, Kaylie was stretched out on her bed, flipping through a magazine. A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie, and she sat up just as the door swung open. Jackson entered, pulling the door shut behind him.

"How are you doing?" he asked, taking a seat on the bed. Kaylie shrugged. Jackson grinned, and then continued.

"I wanted to let you know that I will be going away for a couple of days. I'm leaving tomorrow and I should be back on Tuesday." Kaylie noticed the slight emphasis on should, but said nothing.

"Leroy and Ben will be here," he went on. "With the exception of Monday night into early Tuesday, when Leroy will also be otherwise engaged. Ben will be here the entire time, however, and has explicit instructions to take good care of you." He paused. "He also has instructions to do whatever is necessary to keep you in this apartment. I don't want to hear that you've caused him any trouble, is that clear?"

"Ok." Kaylie nodded. She hadn't known Ben for very long, but she did not feel that she needed to worry about being left in his care. From what she had gathered over the previous two days, he was the least to fear of the trio and would certainly follow orders from his boss. For now, those orders seemed to be for Kaylie's protection.

"So where are you going?" she asked, wondering how far straightforward questions would get her.

Jackson smirked. "Away," was the reply.

"Oh, come on," she pressed. "I know this has something to do with whatever secret plan you guys have going on."

"Oh, really?" Jackson's eyes met hers.

"Jackson," she retorted, holding his gaze. "You told me yourself that my father had a part in a larger scheme, the same scheme that this little vacation of yours is undoubtedly a part of. Given the circumstances, I think I have a right to know what's going on, particularly since I'm not much of a liability." Their eyes were locked, as if each were trying to stare the other down, and it seemed like an eternity before Jackson spoke.

"Well," he began. "You're right. You're not much of a liability, not in this apartment, at least. So I suppose it can't hurt to give you a little bit of information."

Kaylie didn't reply. She hadn't expected him to actually give in, and wasn't entirely sure if he was teasing her or not.

"Have you heard of Charles Keefe?"

_Keefe…_ The name sounded familiar, but Kaylie was unable to place it. She shook her head and Jackson continued.

"He's a politician whose views are somewhat…controversial. There are a lot of people who disagree with his ideas, some enough that they would take a fairly extreme stand."

Kaylie's breath caught in her throat. She knew where this was going.

"They want to take him out, to make a point. That's where I come in. Ben, Leroy and I were hired, through an organization, to play certain roles in his assassination."

"A fairly extreme stand?" Kaylie repeated in disbelief. "This man is going to be killed, and you call it a 'fairly extreme stand'?"

Jackson shrugged. "Call it what you want."

"So that's where you're going then, to take him out?"

Jackson looked offended. "Do you recall the conversation we had the other day, about how managers don't typically do the dirty work?" He looked at her reprovingly. "No, I have another part to play."

"Is Leroy…" Kaylie began, as an idea began to occur. "Is he going to…"

Jackson chuckled. "Wrong again, though that is his line of work. This is a complicated operation, Kaylie, which requires individuals with specialized skills. I've been informed that they will be ready to go when the Keefes arrive at the target location and I will hear from them when it's done."

Kaylie was about to ask what Jackson's part was, but something he said stuck in her mind.

"Keefes?" She looked at him questioningly. "There's more than one?"

"His family," he replied, almost offhand. "Wife and two kids, if I recall."

Kaylie's face went white. "They're targeting his family?" she choked out, praying that she had misunderstood.

"Yes." Jackson's face did not change. "That's always been a part of the plan."

"But…" Kaylie wanted to scream at him, but couldn't put words together. She wanted to cry, but the tears refused to come. "They're only children…" Her dazed eyes met his cold ones.

"You're going to let them kill his children?!" She was on her feet now, thoughts suddenly clear, and Jackson matched her. "And his wife?! That's not a political statement, that's cold-blooded murder!"

"Kaylie," he began, voice both calm and condescending. "You're upset, but try to understand…"

"Oh, look who's a genius," she snarled back, cutting him off. "I'm upset? What on earth would make you say that?!" She took a step towards him. "You told me that you didn't kill innocent people. Well, guess what? You're a liar. You're a liar and a murderer…"

"Kaylie," Jackson tried again, attempting to break through her screaming rant. "Kaylie, will you listen…"

He was interrupted again, more harshly this time, as she took a sudden step forward and slapped him across the face. They both froze in shock. Jackson's eyes flashed with anger and Kaylie took a step back, expecting retaliation. He stepped forward and grabbed her wrists, using his body weight to propel her into the wall behind. She tried to pull away and, finding herself trapped, aimed a knee upwards towards his groin. He blocked it with his leg and twisted his foot around hers to throw her off balance.

"Let me go," she growled, squirming in his grip.

"Kaylie, knock it off." She kept struggling. "Hey!" came the reprimand, as he tightened his hold. "What did I just say?"

"Let me go," she pleaded, more begging than demanding.

"I need you to calm down." Jackson continued. "Can you do that?"

Kaylie took a deep breath. "Yes," she managed.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No," she stated, more confident this time. "Just let me go."

He relinquished his hold and she inched further along the wall, eyeing him warily. After a moment, convinced that he wasn't on the attack, she slid to the floor and dropped her head into her arms, bursting into tears. Jackson simply watched her.

------------

After listening to her sobs for several minutes, Jackson took a seat on the floor next to her. She didn't acknowledge his presence and continued sobbing.

"Hey," he said quietly, in what resembled a soothing tone of voice. "It's going to be ok, you know."

"Maybe for you," she managed, and gave a dry laugh. "Not so much for Keefe."

Jackson sighed. "Kaylie," he began. "I know this is difficult…"

"How do you do it, Jackson?" she asked, looking up at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "How do you go out every day and take people's lives? How do you sleep at night?"

"It's my job," he replied. "It's what I do. Just business."

"But they're children," she cried, reburying her head in her arms. "They have nothing to do with his politics. Don't you feel any remorse?"

His tone was even and without emotion. "I learned long ago to view it strictly as business. I don't have anything personal against Keefe. I'm just doing my job."

Kaylie kept crying.

"Kaylie." Jackson nudged her gently. "Come on, pull yourself together. You're not doing anybody any good. Don't worry about the Keefes. You have enough to worry about as it is."

Kaylie took a deep breath. _He's right_, she told herself firmly. _Getting hysterical isn't going to make him feel guilty, or me feel any better. I need to stay focused on getting myself through this_. Kaylie profoundly wished that she could do something to help Keefe and his family, but knew that attempting anything would be foolish. _Getting myself killed isn't going to help anybody._

Beside her, Jackson got to his feet and extended a hand.

"Come on."

Kaylie glanced up at him, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. _It doesn't even faze him._ _He talks about killing people like most people talk about a trip to the supermarket._

With a sigh, Kaylie reached out and took the offered hand.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry that is has been so long since I've updated! These past few months have been incredibly busy, leaving me little time to write. Now my schedule is somewhat less hectic, so I will be updating much more regularly! I hope some of you are still interested in reading, as I am definitely still interested in continuing this story.

To answer a couple of questions: Kaylie is 15 and, yes, Lisa will be in this story, and very soon. She is mentioned in this chapter and will likely enter in the next one.

--

When her door was unlocked the next morning, Kaylie took a little longer than usual before emerging for breakfast. Her eyes were still slightly red-rimmed and she looked exhausted, but neither she nor Jackson said a word about the night before. If Ben and Leroy had heard anything, they, too, kept their silence. Kaylie, for her part, was grateful: she doubted if she would ever figure out how she felt about what was going on. Jackson disappeared shortly after breakfast and reemerged soon after with a duffel bag in tow. He was nicely dressed and Kaylie noticed for the first time how handsome he was. She wondered if seduction was ever a part of his duties as manager. She was tempted to ask the purpose of this trip, but her overly stuffy nose and tired eyes were a harsh reminder of what had happened the last time she had asked that question. _Not that he would tell me anyway,_ she thought dryly, as she got up to say goodbye. Jackson conferred briefly with Ben and Leroy, just quietly enough that Kaylie couldn't hear without obvious effort, before turning to address the younger girl.

"Well, I'm off," he grinned. "Don't get cute while I'm gone." He winked and then disappeared out the door, pulling it shut behind him. Kaylie turned to face the others, trying to ignore the slight increase in anxiety at the thought of Jackson's absence.

Ben smiled. "So… what do you want to do?"

--

"Uno!" Ben exclaimed, dropping his second to last card on the table.

Kaylie chewed on her lip and added a card of her own, feeling slightly relieved when Ben reached for the draw pile. Of their six preceding games of UNO, Ben had won five. A few minutes later, Kaylie secured her second victory. Ben shuffled the cards and extended them in her direction.

"Again?"

"I think I'm good," Kaylie replied with a laugh.

"Sorry that I don't have any other games." Ben shrugged apologetically. "Not really the first thing we think to bring on a job."

"I suppose not." Kaylie tried not to think about the current "job", to which Leroy's departure earlier that day was undoubtedly connected. "How long have you been in Miami?" she asked. "Jackson said this was only temporary?"

"Two months, give or take." Ben slid a rubber band around the deck of cards and dropped them back on the table. "We shouldn't be here too much longer."

_What will happen to me then?_

Ben seemed to read her thoughts. "Jackson said he'd let you go when this business was over. If everything goes according to plan, it should be wrapped up pretty soon." He smiled reassuringly. "Whatever you might say about him, Jackson is a man of his word."

--

Kaylie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the digital clock, reminding her of the late hour with its large, bright numbers. She wondered where Jackson was. _He's supposed to be back tomorrow_. She wondered if the Keefe's were still alive. She couldn't get the name out of her head. _Charles Keefe. "Have you heard of Charles Keefe?" Why does that sound so familiar?_ _He's a politician. His views are controversial. They're killing his family!_ Kaylie swallowed hard. _How can Jackson do this? I hate him, hate him!_ She wiped away a tear. _But I want him to come back. It feels safer when he's around._ Kaylie covered her face with her hands. _What am I supposed to feel? Do I hate him? Am I afraid of him? Am I worried about him? Do I really need him to get out of this alive?_ Jackson's voice echoed in her head. _"Have you heard of Charles Keefe?"_ Kaylie sat bolt upright in bed. She knew who Charles Keefe was. He had worked with her father.

--

"Kaylie! Kaylie, wake up!" _Crap_, Kaylie thought. _I'm late for school_. Then the knowledge of where she was kicked in and her eyes shot open to find Ben shaking her.

"What's going on?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes, wondering vaguely what time it was.

"Trouble." Satisfied that she was awake, Ben began pacing the room. "Plan went all wrong. Damn girl got in the way. And Jackson said he had everything under control."

"Wait, what?" Kaylie was out of bed now, and hurried across the room to grab Ben by the arm. "Slow down. What's going on?"

"The plan," he repeated, emphasizing the word. "It…"

"The plan about the Keefes?" Kaylie asked, her heart skipping a beat at the thought that they might still be alive.

"Well, yes," Ben replied. "Lisa…"

"Lisa?" Kaylie was thoroughly confused. "Who's Lisa?"

Ben looked slightly taken aback. "I thought Jackson told you."

"He told me about the Keefes," Kaylie said. "I don't know anything about…" A voice in her head interrupted her, recalling the conversation she had overheard between Ben and Leroy the day before. They had mentioned a Lisa, but Kaylie had no idea who they were talking about.

"Lisa! The girl that Jackson kidnapped!" Ben was off again, clearly in a state of panic. "She got in the way… and Leroy's dead… and Jackson's hurt…

"Ben!" Kaylie's shout interrupted his rambling and he turned to look at her, startled. "What are you talking about? Who did Jackson kidnap? And what about her killing Leroy? And is Jackson ok? And the Keefes?"

Ben took a deep breath. "Ok," he said finally. "I think we better start from the beginning."

--

"So you're telling me," Kaylie said, wrapping her hands around a cup of tea. "That Jackson kidnapped the manager of the hotel, on an airplane, and forced her to help him in setting up Keefe's assassination."

Ben nodded. "But something went wrong," he replied. "Or, rather, everything did. She got in the way somehow, I don't know exactly how, and now Leroy is dead."

Though she could not bring herself to wish death on anyone, Kaylie found that that piece of news did not make her particularly sad.

"What about Jackson?" she asked, surprised at her concern for him.

"Injured, I think." Ben sighed. "And we failed. Someone warned the Keefes. It was probably that damned Lisa."

Kaylie tried not to let Ben see her relief at hearing that the Keefes were alive. He was having a bad enough morning without feeling like she was against him. She wondered briefly where Jackson was. He was probably pissed.

"How do you know all this?" she asked suddenly.

"From our employers."

"You mean, the people who hired you to assassinate Keefe?"

"No, no," Ben shook his head. "Those are our clients. We work for an organization that specializes in ... carrying out operations of this nature. This is a lot bigger than just Jackson, Leroy and I."

"Your employers find things out awfully fast," Kaylie pointed out.

"They're extremely well-connected," Ben sighed. "Which is particularly valuable in situations such as this."

Kaylie rested her elbows on the table. "What are we going to do now?"

"Well," Ben began. "Our employers are going to take responsibility for making sure that Jackson gets out of the hospital –"

"Wait," Kaylie interrupted. "He's in the hospital?"

"Where did you think he was?"

"I dunno, on his way back here?"

Ben raised his eyebrows. "He was pretty seriously injured, Kaylie, otherwise he wouldn't have lost. My boss tells me he was taken to Miami General. So they'll get him out –"

"Get him out? Won't they discharge him?"

"Yeah, straight into prison. I'm sure Lisa will identify him… after all, he did kidnap her."

"He's going to prison?" It had never occurred to Kaylie that Jackson would be caught and, frankly, it terrified her.

"Of course not." Ben looked appalled at the thought. "He's a professional and so are all the people we work for. Don't think there haven't been close calls like this before."

Kaylie swallowed hard and tried her best to believe him.

"Now I have been charged," Ben continued. "With the task of determining what exactly Lisa Reisert knows and what she is planning on doing with it."

Kaylie gave him a quizzical look.

"Jackson told Lisa about the plot against Keefe – that was part of the plan. I need to find out if he told her anything else, about our employers, our clients..."

"Would he do that?"

"No," Ben replied adamantly. "But so many things went wrong that our employers want to take every precaution. I need to find out if she knows anything else and what she may have told the police."

Kaylie's head was spinning. "How?"

"That's the tricky part. I'm going to have to follow her, listen in on her conversations. But I can't very well leave you here alone while I do it."

"I can come with you," Kaylie offered.

"Jackson would kill me!" Ben exclaimed. "I'm supposed to protect you and keep you in this apartment. I can't take you with me, risking that you might attract attention or slip away somehow."

"I won't." Ben stared at her. "You told me yesterday that Jackson is a man of his word. He promised me safety and freedom if I didn't cause trouble and waited for this job of yours to blow over. I'm choosing to trust you. I won't take off, Ben. I promise you that."

Ben studied her for several seconds. "Okay." He smiled and pushed himself up from the table. "Let's do this, then."

Kaylie got to her feet and set her empty mug in the sink. _What have I gotten myself into?_


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Well, I was planning to update much more regularly, but then hit major writer's block with this chapter. I think I've finally got it worked out, but please let me know what you think! My knowledge of surveillance is quite limited, so I apologize for any potential errors or inconsistencies.

Lisa in this chapter! Only briefly, but she will become a more significant character very soon.

Hope people are still interested in the story – please R&R!

--

"She's getting a call." Ben pressed the headphones more tightly to his ears, listening intently. Kaylie watched him for several seconds, wondering if this was another call from Lisa's apparently very concerned dad. _Well, he does have a right to be worried. His daughter was kidnapped._ Remembering that her own father could not be concerned about her whereabouts brought a lump to her throat, but she swallowed hard and focused instead on the book that lay open in her lap. It was their second day of surveillance, a task that, she was quickly learning, was more waiting than anything else. The first day had been spent ascertaining that Lisa was on leave from work, keeping watch on her apartment and ensuring that the phone tap Jackson had set up was still functional and undiscovered. Day two, thus far, had been listening to a series of largely unhelpful phone calls. The only positive thing to be gained from Lisa's conversations with dad and a bubbly friend named Cynthia was that, if she did know anything about the inner workings of the Keefe plot beyond the roles of Jackson and Leroy, she wasn't sharing. Ben was sure this was good news, but waited patiently for further confirmation. Kaylie wasn't quite sure what information he was looking for. After several minutes of careful listening, Ben removed the headphones and looked at Kaylie with an expression of triumph.

"That was the detective in charge of the investigation. He's sent an agent to bring Lisa a copy of her original police report. He wants her to review it and add anything she might have left out the first time." When Kaylie merely looked at him curiously, Ben ploughed on. "Don't you see? This gives me the chance to get my hands on it! Much easier than stealing it from the police station."

"You're going to intercept the agent?" Kaylie asked.

"No, no," Ben replied. "Stealing an important document from an armed police officer?" He shook his head for emphasis. "Besides, it would be mighty suspicious if the report never made it to Lisa."

"So what then?"

"Lisa said she had some errands to do today – you know, trying to live her life as normally as possible. She said she would see to the report when she returned, but while she's out..."

"But what happens when she gets back and notices it's missing?"

"It won't be." Ben waved a digital camera in the air. "I'm not going to take the report. Only pictures." He frowned slightly. "Only problem is... you can't come with me. I can get into her apartment without being seen, but both of us..."

"I'll stay here," Kaylie suggested.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Ben," Kaylie raised her eyebrows. "Are you still worried about me taking off? I gave you my word."

"I know." Ben sighed. "It's just..."

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, you are more than welcome to personally shoot me if I try anything stupid."

"I don't want to shoot you," Ben replied quickly. "Just stay put, okay? I'm taking a big risk by leaving you alone and Jackson is not going to be happy if you disappear."

------------

Ben and Kaylie watched from down the road as the police officer arrived, carrying a manila envelope. They watched him disappear into Lisa's apartment building and then leave again, this time empty-handed. They watched as Lisa exited the building, unable to resist glancing around her as she climbed into her car. They watched her car disappear down the street in the opposite direction. Kaylie heard Ben's reminder to stay there, watched as he crossed the road and walked quickly along the sidewalk. She watched as he climbed the front steps and, sliding a key into the lock, entered the building. She went back to her book. Several minutes later, unable to focus, her gaze drifted back to the door. As more minutes ticked by, she grew increasingly anxious as to what was taking him so long. _Well, he does have to photograph the entire report._ Anxiety gave way to heart-stopping fear as she watched Lisa Reisert's car turning back onto the road. _Why is she back so soon? Did she forget something? What if she finds Ben?_ Kaylie realized with panic that she had no way of alerting him. _If she finds him, she'll call the police. Then maybe I'd be free_._ I could tell the police everything..._ The thoughts had no sooner occurred than Kaylie scrambled out of the car. She crossed the street and hurried up the sidewalk, reaching the apartment building just as Lisa stepped out of her car.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" Lisa turned, startled. Her friendly smile did not quite hide the momentary flash of anxiety in her eyes. "Yes?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could tell me where the nearest gas station is? My friend's parked just up the street – he doesn't like to ask for directions – but apparently we've done a bit more driving than we thought." Kaylie smiled sheepishly, feeling genuinely guilty for having startled a woman who likely jumped every time someone said her name. _That's not all I have to feel guilty for_.

"Of course," Lisa replied. "There's one only a few blocks away. Do you have enough gas to get that far?"

"Oh yeah." Kaylie nodded. "Just not enough to keep driving aimlessly until we accidentally find one." She laughed lightly. As the older woman explained the directions, Kaylie noticed a slight movement at the front entrance. She felt certain it was Ben, although she didn't dare look, and hoped he figured out what she was doing.

"-and it will be on your left," Lisa finished.

"Okay, great." Kaylie replied. "Thank you so much. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem," Lisa smiled. They exchanged goodbyes and Kaylie turned to walk back up the street without glancing at the front door. Only when she had reached the car did she glance back to see Ben coming down the front steps. She sank into her seat with relief. A minute later, Ben was in the seat beside her.

"Thank you," he said, sounding slightly out of breath.

"I didn't know if it was going to buy you enough time," Kaylie admitted.

"It did. I heard part of your conversation when I came back down, but then I hid until Lisa had gone up. You think pretty quick on your feet." He grinned. "You know, if you ever need a job, I could probably hook you up."

"Impress you, did I?" Kaylie raised her eyebrows. "Well, thanks for the offer, but I'm not really sure this is my line of work."

Ben laughed. "Well, it was just a thought." He glanced at her, suddenly serious. "You could have let her find me, could have let her call the police, but you didn't. Why?"

Kaylie met his eyes. "I'm not going to pretend the idea didn't occur to me." She sighed. "I didn't really know what I was doing until I was doing it. I don't know, Ben. You guys promised to protect me and, so far, have done so. Maybe I was returning the favor. Or maybe I realize that even the police are no match for you and Jackson, or for your clients." They studied each other for several seconds.

"Well, whatever your reasons were," Ben smiled at her. "Thanks."

Kaylie nodded as he started the car. "Did you get the pictures?"

"Yes, I did."

Kaylie stared out the window. _If the report shows that Lisa doesn't know anything, then we won't have to follow her anymore. Right?_


End file.
